Houndstooth’s nonalcoholic coffee cocktails return for summer

The Centro Americano at the downtown Houndstooth location is the perfect nonalcoholic antidote to the summer heat.

Needing to stay cool and caffeinated during summer scorchers are always a must in Austin, and Houndstooth Coffee has a solution: a specialty drink menu that will be available through Labor Day at both locations.

It’s not the first time Houndstooth, a local purveyor, has offered nonalcoholic coffee cocktails. A couple of summers ago, the downtown shop on Congress Avenue had a small menu that included a Coffee Old Fashioned even non-coffee drinkers might love (which I can attest to because I don’t care for coffee and loved the drink).

These cocktails, as barista Gregory Alford noted at the time, rearticulate “what coffee can do. It’s not for people who walk in and just want a cup of coffee, but if you’re looking for something a little different, this is it.”

They’re also remarkable because though the drinks lack booze, the baristas can add certain ingredients to have them mimic the flavors of our favorite cocktails. That was true of the drinks two years ago, when the espresso in the Coffee Old Fashioned was the substitution for bourbon, while still maintaining the roasted characteristics of coffee.

Both locations, including the one on North Lamar Boulevard, are getting creative with the coffee drinks. And the offerings are different at each, so you’ll have to make sure you stop by both for the various options. According to Houndstooth, these run between $3 and $6.